Hybrid ion diode theory and computations

Intense ion beams for inertial confinement fusion research are produced by diodes in which electron current is inhibited by strong magnetic fields. The insulating magnetic field in these diodes is produced by the particle currents themselves or by an external field coil. The Hybrid ion diode incorporates a series field coil and a grooved epoxy filled anode to produce the pulsed ion beam. Both polar and equatorial versions of this diode concept were tested. The design of these diodes is discussed, including the description of various computer codes used in this process. The confirmation of various aspects of the theory for Hybrid diode operation will be discussed. A method for optimizing the diode focus is described. A ray trace code was written to investigate the focal properties of beams from these diodes and results are given. Some particle in cell computations for specific diode designs also is presented and compared with experimentally measured quantities.